AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE and COMPOSITION


Most of Carolynn's AP Resources are on her hard drive OR in the 11th/12th Literature sections of the wiki. Please contact me if you want to talk AP Language OR Ali, Maura & Elena for AP Literature!



Rhetorical Modes/Types of Writing

The aim of this unit is for students to be able to identify types of writing (in a text overall AND in isolated lines/paragraphs within a text.) Is the text a narrative that opens with description? Is the text an argument that uses exemplification to prove the point? This is a foundational concept to AP Language & Composition that is not too difficult.
The key points: There are many "rhetorical modes"/"types of writing". You can identify a text's "rhetorical mode" based on its "defining features/key words". Texts can (and often do) include more than one "rhetorical mode".

Day 1: Students define the types of writing. (Create note cards for each mode. Mode name and definition on the front, features/identifying words on the back. I had my students do this on their own using the internet (http://www.tc.umn.edu/~jewel001/CollegeWriting/START/Modes.htm) then we went over them as a class.

Day 2: Students memorize/practice features/identifying words of each mode. Print out the excel sheet. Cut it into strips and mix them.
  • Matching Cards Practice: Rhetorical Modes and Features.xls Students must form 8 piles of matching cards (one for each mode.) Each pile will have: (1) the name of the rhetorical mode/writing type (2) the definition (3) the features/identifying words (4) an example.
  • Gallery Walk Practice: I printed out MC passages from the previous AP exam, on the college board website and my students did a gallery walk identifying the rhetorical mode(s) used in each passage. They had to write down on their papers: (1) the passage # (2) the rhetorical mode(s) (3) the features/identifying words from the passage that helped them figure this out
  • Worksheet Practice: Rhetorical Mode Passages for Identification.doc




The Prince, by Machiavelli

The aim of this unit is to help students develop comprehension skills for extremely high-level texts, apply difficult concepts from one text to new texts, and analyze the use of style/structure in non-fiction. (Created by Carolynn, Spring 2010 for AP English Language and Composition as an extension of a unit on Power & Leadership that began with Lord of the Flies.)

Unit Overview.doc
Unit Text - The Prince - Annotated-Planning Document.doc

Day 1: Introduce Machiavelli's Historical Context, so students will understand what shaped his views
Day 2-3: Walk students through comprehension of two excerpts from The Prince, decoding unknown words, translating individual sentences, and outlining the overall point [the "WHAT"/"SAYS" of the text]
Day 4: Apply Machiavelli's philosophies of leadership to a short story about a tyrannical mayor
Day 5: Analyze Machiavelli's Style (using Says/Does Outline) [the "HOW"/"DOES" of the text]
Day 6: Students independently read next section of The Prince in preparation for Unit Test (60 min) then play "Review Jeopardy"
Day 7: Unit Test